MANSFIELD — The new principal of Prospect Elementary School senses “something big” on the horizon in Mansfield City Schools.
Martin A. Linder, 35, already is in his building, meeting staff and preparing for the opening of school on Aug. 17. His hiring will be confirmed by the board of education at its meeting on Aug. 16.
He succeeds Kirstin DeVito, who resigned to take a position with Clear Fork Schools.
“I was talking with Mike Wallace (the new principal at Sherman Elementary) and we agreed that Mansfield City Schools is primed to make a big turn,” said Lindner, a native of Norwalk. “We believe we can be part of something big here.”
His expectation is based on his knowledge of the district, his background as an elementary-level educator and the last three years as a member of Ohio Department of Education state support teams in Elyria and Cuyahoga Falls. His specific responsibility with the state teams was as an Ohio Improvement Process consultant.
“My role was to work with schools to improve instruction for all kids,” Linder said. “No matter where we are, we must demonstrate empathy and recognize that all kids deserve the right to a high-quality education, regardless of their background.”
Linder said he does not underestimate the task at Prospect, where the poverty rate is 95 percent, based on the number of free and reduced-price lunches.
“In teaching, we recognize that we all have mountains to climb. Some are foothills, some are mountains. We have a mountain here at Prospect but we can’t get discouraged,” he said. “I really liked the idea of returning to a K-3 building where you have to have a passion for working with young children.”
Linder knows of what he speaks. He received a degree in childhood education from the University of Dayton and a master’s in education administration from Ashland University. He taught kindergarten and second grade at Cloverleaf Local Schools in Lodi before serving three years as an elementary principal in New London.
“I believe we can turn expectation into practice at Prospect,” he said. “Most of the staff have come in voluntarily to introduce themselves and talk with me. They are a staff young in spirit. I was inspired by their dedication beyond teaching roles, by what they do with and for the community here.”
A 1999 graduate of Norwalk St. Paul High School, he was a member of the school’s first football team to reach the state championship game.
“We lost,” he said with a smile. “I played left tackle, but I wasn’t a starter.”
Earlier in his career he coached football at St. Paul Middle School and freshman football at Cloverleaf.
Linder and his wife, Diana, a physical therapist, have a six-month-old daughter, Hazel.
“She’s almost seven months old now,” he said. “Where does the time go?”
Larry Gibbs is a spokesman for Mansfield City Schools.
